The American White Pelican needs open water to make a living. They feed on fish while swimming and snatch prey with their large bills. I made a trip today down south to lock & dam #14 near LeClaire, Iowa and there was plenty of open water. The ice cover of the river lasted only in quiet bays and backwaters with very little or no current. I was hoping to find Common Mergansers at the exit of the lock but had no luck. Instead a squadron of six pelicans cruised the water back and forth. They always work together as a group while trying to catch fish and it is such a pleasure to watch these majestic birds. Unlike their cousins, the Brown Pelicans, who live a long the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf coast, White Pelicans do not plunge dive for food.
It is very easy to blow out the highlights in the pelican’s plumage when the sun is shining. I underexpose by at least 1 stop to prevent this. It’s always possible to brighten the water a little bit if you think this is necessary, but a blown out highlight is a lost cause.